The New Print Trend That Will Make You Break Up With Florals and Polka Dots

Here at Who What Wear UK, we always strive to tell you about the next big trends ahead of time. That’s why we created Microtrend Monday, your weekly alert to let you know the items and styling tricks that are suddenly taking off.

They say art imitates life, but in this case, it’s the other way around. Our wardrobes are taking a lead from the art world right now—its simplistic portrait sketches, to be precise. We’ve noticed many of our most-watched bloggers and street style stars are adding face prints to their wardrobe repertoire of late. Call it the Luke Edward Hall effect, but this has happened in tandem with this Camden-based artist popping up on every fashionistas Instagram feed right now, and his work is certainly echoed in that of this fashion trend. Two of our most stylish ladies to follow—Laura Jackson and Pandora Sykes—have both posted the artist’s coveted ceramics and prints, providing both interiors and fashion goals in one swoop. Always appreciated.

Designers such as Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and Fendi can’t get enough of this sartorial “face time,” all showcasing visage-inspired prints in their collections. But it’s the more niche Instagram-grown indie brands that are really owning the trend, Paloma Wool’s face sweatshirt being at the very core of it all, following its success with the “naked” shirt. Simplistic line drawings reminiscent of French artist Henri Matisse are also trending. The surrealist painter’s portraits popped up on an equally sought-after jersey crew-neck from the small brand Futr Studio and promptly sold out. Luckily for you, there are now some great high-street takes on the trend.

The idea is even creeping into jewellery. This pair of earrings by Open House are ruling our social media feeds at the moment as an in-the-know label to wear now. Whether you literally adorn your face with a face (how meta is that?) or choose a a pop of portraiture for your next motif tee, we have all of the trend’s best options below.